Orifice cap



March 30 1926;

F. E. RICE ORIFICE CAP Original Filed May 20, 19

Patented Mar. 30, l2$.

FRANK E. RICE, {3F DETROIT, MICHIGAN, .ASSIGNbB, T0 AMERICAN TAP BRUSH09., A CORPORATION OF MICHIGAN.

ORIFICE CAP.

Application filed May 20, 1922, Serial No. 562,299. Renewed August 29,1925.

To all whom it may concern: 1

Be it known that I, F RANK E. Rion, a citizen oi the United States, anda resident of the city of Detroit, in the county of \Vayne and State ofMichigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in anOrifice Cap; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full,clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, and to the numerals of reference marked thereon,which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to an orifice cap adapted for closing the orificein a gasoline tank or the like.

It is an object of this invention to provide a cap comprising a pair ofseparable sections which are assembled by relative rotation and clampedtogether, the structure being such that reverse rotation under clampingaction is re:isted. The invention further contemplates clampingmechanism which is readily operable, and in which there is no tendencyto stick or jam of parts, and whit-h comprises certain yieldablefeatures for the operating element thereof, as will be more readilyapparent in the following description and disclosure.

This invention comprises the novel mechanism and combinationshereinafter described and more particularly pointed out in theappendedclaims.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate a preferred embodiment ofthis invention, and in which similar reference numerals referto similarparts in the different views:

Figure 1 is a section through a tank, showing my improved cap partlyinsection and partly in elevation applied over the orifice therein.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary top plan viewof the cap applied to the tank.

Figure 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Figure 2 upon an enlargedscale. I

Figure 4 is a section on the line 41 of Fi ure 2.

igure 5 is a top plan view of the lower section. c

Figure 6 is a bottom plan view of the upper section.

Figure 7- is a section on the line 77 of Figure 1, upon an enlargedscale.

Figure 8 is a fragmentary sectional view a modification upon a reducedscale. Figure 9 is a plan view of a spring used in my modified form. i

As shown on the drawings:

In referring now to the drawings, which illustrate one embodiment ofthis invention. the reference numeral 1 represents a tank or vesselhaving an orifice 2 over which my improved cap fits. The cap may bebolted or welded to the tank in any approved way. The cap consists of apair of separable sections 2 and 3, the former constituting the upper orremovable section and the other constituting the lower or stationarysection.

The lower section- 3 is illustrated as of cylindrical form made of sheetmetal and provided with an attaching base in the form of an annularflange 4:. Adjacent the uppermargin of the section, an inwardly directedchannel-shaped groove 5 is stamped in the metal. I The upper wall orflange 6 of this groove is cut away preferably upon opposite sides asindicated at 7 (Fig. 5) to provide entrance slots or notches, and aportion of the cut-away part is bent downwardly at one end of each notchand across the groove to provide a stop 8 whereby the channelshapedgroove 5 is divided into two part", which may be said to constitute twoseparate grooves, each of which extends substantially upon an arc of180. The upper wall of each groove is cut away or beveled upwardlytoward its 'inner end adjacent the stop 8 forming an upwardly extendingslope or depression. as indicated at 9 (Fig. 4) that is, the upper wallsof the'two grooves slope upwardly toward the stops 8. The walls '6 maybe either cut away or pressed upwardly for this purpose.

"The upper section 2 is also of cylindrical form and preferably stampedfrom sheet metal in the form of a hood with inwardly directed lugs 10adapted for entering the notches 7 of the lower section The uppersurfaces of these lugs are biased upwardly from the front end toward therear as shown in Fig. 4. Centrally of the top of the sec.- tion, thereis an integral neck 11 stamped therein for receiving a screw-threadedplug 12 in which a hand-operated screw 13 .is inserted. The lower end ofthis screw is secured to a resilient or spring plate 14 of circular formhaving notches 14 (Fig. 6)

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at opposite sides for receiving the lug 10 whereby the plate is adaptedfor insertion in said section and then rotated therein before itsattachment to the screw. Below the resilientplate '14, a circularfibrous or frictional member 15 is inserted in the said upper sectionnormally lying above the lugs 10. Instead of using the screw 13, afourpoint spring 16 .(Fig. 9) may be positioned in the upper sectionwhich in the modified form is shown closed atthe top so that the top 17of the spring will rest against the interior surface thereof with itsfour downwardly diverging arms which define the four bearing pointsrest-ing upon the top of the plate 14.

The upper section of the cap is applied or removed from the lowersection by a rotational movement, as is obvious. In applying the uppersection, the lugs 10 are passed through the slots or notches 7 intotheir respective grooves, as shown in Fig. 7. Then by turning the uppersection in an anti-clockwise direction, the lugs 10 will pass under theflange 6, i. e., the upper walls of their respective grooves, until theystrike the stops 8. During this operation it is of course presumed thatthe plate 14 is sufficiently adjusted in an-upward direction so as notto interfere with the oper' ation of applying the upper section. Whenthe upper section has been applied as above explained, it will be in theposition illustrated in Fig. 4 and in dotted lines in Fig. 7 with thelugs 10 adjacent the stops 8, and in order to press the lugs against theslopes of the walls 6, the screw 13 is turned to force the frictionalmember 15 tightly against the upper edge of the lower section, wherebythe upper section will be slightly raised in an axial direction of thescrew whereb the lugs will be pressed with a tight frictional fitagainst the slope of the walls 6 and a braking action will be applied tothe upper section so there will be very little tendency for relativerotation of the sections until the pressure on the screw is'released foragain removing the upper section.

In the modified form, the upper section is forced down into positionupon the lower section against the tension of the spring and thenrotated. When the lugs reach the depressions 9, the force of the springwill slightly elevate them, whereby greater fric' tional resistance willhave to be overcome in unscrewing the upper section, so thesectionsmight be said to be yieldingly clamped together.

It should be noted that in screwing down the screw 13, the plate 14 willyield, and the yielding force will be directed in an upward direction,so the screw 13 will never become so tightly wedged or jammed in itsclamping position that it cannot be readily removed. In the use of sucha resilient late the screw becomes readilv res onsive for unclampingpurposes.

'struction may be varied through a wide range without departing fromtheprinciples of this invention, and I therefore do not purpose limitingthe atent granted otherwise than necessitated y the prior art.

I claim as my invention:

1. A closure cap for an orifice comprising a pair of relativelyrotational sections, one of said sections having a pair of grooves withentrance notches, one wall of each groove being beveled at its innerend, the other section having lugs beveled upon one surface forcooperating with the beveled walls of said grooves and adapted forinsertion through said notches, and means for frictionally clampingsaidsections together against relative rotation.

A closure cap for an orifice comprising a pair of relatively rotationalsections, one of said sections having grooves and the other sectionhaving lugs for entering said grooves, one of the walls of each groovebeing cut away adjacent the inner end thereof, and means for clampingsaid sections together by relative longitudinal movement thereof withthe lugs of one section in the cut-away portions of the grooves of theother section.

3. A closure cap for an orifice comprising a pair of relative rotationalmembers, the lower section having a groove and the upper section havinga lug for entering said groove, a frictional member in the uppersection, a resilient plate above said frictional member, and a screwthreaded into said upper section and secured to said plate, said screwbeing operable for clamping said frictional member upon the uppersection whereby said lug will be tightly drawn against the upper wall ofsaid groove.

at. In a device of the class described, a lower cylindrical cap sectionadapted for attachment over an orifice and having grooves stampedtherein with entering notches extending from its upper margin. an uppersection having inwardly directed lugs stamped therefrom adapted forentering said notches and grooves of the lower section, a frictionalmember in the upper section, a resilient plate resting upon the uppersurface of said frictional member. a screw member threaded into the topof said upper section and secured to said resilient, plate, said screwbeing operable for clamping said frictionai member upon the lowersection and drawing said lugs into frictional contact with the upperwalls of said grooves.

5. In a closure cap for an orifice, a pair of separable and relativelyrotational memhers having coacting parts engageable by rel-' ativerotation thereof, and means emboclythrough relative rotation thereof andmanuing a manually actuated screw forfrictionally operated means forcausing said en- 10 ally locking said members against relative gageableparts-to become frictionally locked rotation. against rotation.

6. In a closure cap for an orifice, a pair In testimony whereof I havehereunto of separable and relatively rotational inemsubscribed my name.

bers having mutually engageable parts adapted to be brought intocoacting relation FRANK E. RICE.

